Mario Armstrong Special Event Coverage

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You go to the coffee shop around the corner every day. Your favorite show is Nancy Grace. You just got a great deal on Hot Pockets. You average a 47 minute 10k (not too shabby). How do we know all this about you? We’re watching you. And so are all the people you are connected to on your social networks like Foursquare, GetGlue, Shopkick, Nike+GPS and Twitter, not to mention the omni-present Facebook.

It’s fun to share with friends (and strangers) using these apps… but what happens when it’s private time? How do you separate the “social” you from the “I want to be alone” you?

HLN Digital Lifestyle Expert Mario Armstrong asked some of the plugged-in participants at the South By Southwest Music/Film/Digital festival going on in Austin to find out how they manage to stay on the grid, but off the radar.

Waiting in airports and frequent flights are a necessity for many in the business world these days. But can an app make the wait more tolerable? A hot new app that’s getting a lot of buzz here at #SXSW is called Zamp, which aims to do just that. A location-based app that let’s you connect with fellow travelers at the airport, Zamp could really help to make that time spend sitting around the airport more productive. What do you think? Is this a service you would use? Leave a comment below and let me know.

CNN: Personal security in the digital world

Here at SXSW, I just met with with Frank Abagnale Jr., the real-life check forger turned FBI security expert played by Leonardo DiCaprio in “Catch Me If You Can.” Frank warned me and CNN’s Ali Velshi, “I have nothing against those social media sites… [but] don’t give away pertinent information that you know people can take to become you.”

Then Ali turned to me and asked, “What’s the balance here… Because we want free stuff on the Internet, so we know we gotta give some information about us. There’s companies that use it, sell it to advertisers.” I took a moment to break things down and explain how you make a compromise with your personal information whenever you get something for free online. Check the video to learn more about these little digital footprints we leave behind when we’re on the web.

HLN: New apps let you find a friend, anywhere

Being a wallflower at the party because you THINK you have nothing in common with anyone? Smartphone to the rescue!

HLN Digital Lifestyle Expert Mario Armstrong says apps that can tell you when someone with similar interests is nearby are a big trend at South By Southwest this year. They can even alert you if a “friend of a friend” is in the room. Instant icebreaker!

Few events in the business world manage to combine tech, start-up launches, a world-class film festival, and one of the world’s largest concert series — but that’s exactly what South by Southwest (written simply SXSW) promises.

An event that originally started in the late 1980′s to host a local music festival in Austin, Texas, has today become a cornerstone of the music, film, and digital media industries.

Running just over a week every March, SXSW has long been known as a launching point for the careers of independent musicians and filmmakers, but increasingly it has become the hotbed to launch hot digital products as well. Especially since the mobile app revolution. Finish reading this article on HLNtv.com

@MarioArmstrong

SiriusXM Radio Show

Daily during CES, at 5pm EDT (2pm Las Vegas time), Mario will be hosting his SiriusXM tech talk show on Ch. 128 The Power. Featuring amazing guests, the absolute latest and greatest in tech, and commentary from Small Biz Go Mobile Editor Shy Mukerjee (@WebGuyShy), it’s the number one radio show for all your CES-related tech news and tips.